Truth Revealed
by JME2
Summary: While attempting to learn the reasons behind Terry's loyalty to Wayne rather than her, Dana finally discovers the truth about Terry's 'job.' Please r/r!


Disclaimer: Batman created by Bob Kane, Batman Beyond created by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett, characters copyright of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. I own the story and any original characters; no copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Truth Revealed: Part I  
  
Wayne Manor.  
  
Throughout Gotham City, the antique and stately mansion had been known for half a century as the site of charities balls and fundraisers as well as the home of the now reclusive Bruce Wayne. But beneath the manor lay something far greater, a living example of a man's promise, strong will, and a lifelong quest. It was a place that truly emphasized that criminals were a superstitious, cowardly lot. It was a place where for the hundredth time, Terrance "Terry" McGinnis was facing the subtle, yet still formidable wrath of the original Dark Knight Detective.   
  
"You're late."  
  
Terry sighed as he stared at the old man seated at the computer workstation. Here we go again, the Tomorrow Knight thought.  
  
"I'm sorry Bruce. I promised Dana I'd spend some time with her and when I got to the restaurant, she had already left. I couldn't raise her on her cell-phone and then-"  
  
Terry stopped short as the old man's face formed into a frown. It was a face which bore the hardships and horror of the quest that Bruce had remained committed to most of his life.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I'm trying to maintain my relationship with her as best as I can. You can't blame me for that, can you?"  
  
There was silence in the Batcave for a long moment. Finally, Bruce spoke.  
  
"All right, you've made your point."  
  
"Thanks. Well, I'd better get suited up for patrol."  
  
Terry left Bruce at the console and moved across the cave towards the changing area just behind the Trophy room. No matter how many times he had seen it, he still marveled at the history present in this cave. He felt a surge of adrenaline and excitement just looking in at the main display case that contained Bruce's second costume design and the costumes of those brave souls that had fought alongside him so many years ago.  
  
In many ways, despite the necessary secrecy of the cave, it was too bad that only a few had laid eyes on the place that housed the legacy of the savior of Gotham City.  
  
Including Police commissioner Barbara Gordon…  
  
Terry let loose a brief sigh as he pulled out the Batsuit out of his backpack, still finding it hard to believe that for a time, Gordon had been the old man's girlfriend forty years before. In a job like this, romance and relationships were a difficult variable, at times impossible. And of course, Terry wasn't just referring to his own problems with Dana.  
  
No, rather he thought of the serious relationships that had entangled the original Dark Knight and his quest. Women like Selena Kyle, Talia, and Andrea Beaumont came to mind; Terry had read their files, of course. He had even met Talia in person. In the case of the Ms. Kyle, he thought of himself and his feelings towards Melanie Walker, AKA Ten of the Royal Flush Gang.  
  
As for Andrea Beaumont…well, it had taken a little outside help from Max to get through the exorbitant amount of encryption surrounding that particular file. And once they had actually gotten through, Terry had understood why Bruce had done so. To his knowledge, Bruce did not know of this hacking incident and needless to say, it would be a long time before Terry even thought of bringing up the subject of the Phantasm with his mentor, his friend, and his surrogate father, all in one.  
  
After a few moments, Terry emerged into the Batcave's main chamber, fully clothed in the sleek Batsuit that had for the last two years brought a renewed sense of hope to a Gotham City already on the edge of collapse. Bruce was still at the console. Terry could see that the old man had called up the latest police reports on the main screen.  
  
"Anything interesting boss?"  
  
"Nope. But don't think that means you've got tonight off."  
  
A faint smile formed on Terry's face.  
  
"I heard you boss."  
  
***  
  
Within the course of two hours, Terry had stopped two robberies, rescued five people from a burning building, prevented three muggings, and had broken up an attempted rape. All in all, not a busy night by Bruce's standards. Or, so the old man had claimed when Terry had become Bruce's most recent recruitment. Terry had later confirmed this with Barbara and following the supposed return of the Joker, with Tim Drake.  
  
The second Robin, now free of the influence of the Joker's DNA microchip, couldn't stop laughing when Terry had casually and curiously asked him who Bruce had assigned to wash the Batmobile in the old days. That question had led to several anecdotes and answers that Terry intended to confirm with Dick Grayson when he had the time to look up the first Robin and the former Nightwing.  
  
Well, it was getting late as Terry revved up the Batmobile's engines and set a course for the cave. For once, Bruce had actually let Terry go early. It was a good thing too. His mom, while grateful and amazed at how Bruce had changed Terry's attitude towards life, didn't always exactly approve of the late hours that came with Terry's 'job'.   
  
There was a sudden beep coming from the communications panel. Terry took a moment to take his eyes off the road and look at the ID. The caller was none other than Maxine "Max" Gibson. She was the only person other than the old man or Commissioner Gordon who had access to the Batcave and its communication systems.  
  
"Good evening, Ter."  
  
"Hey Max."  
  
"I heard about your little absence from your date with Dana."  
  
Terry let loose a small groan.  
  
"How does information like that get around so quickly?"  
  
McGinnis heard Max shrug on the other end.  
  
"A good hacker never reveals his, or in my case, her sources."  
  
"Good point."  
  
It had been an attitude like Max's that had saved the lives of many of Bruce's underworld informants during the time of the original Dark Knight. The ones who hadn't died of gunshots or natural causes, anyway…  
  
"I will tell you however, I couldn't get a hold of her.   
  
The world's newest Dark Knight sighed.  
  
"So in essence, you don't know where she is."  
  
"Brilliant deduction, my dear detective.  
  
Terry slightly grinned at Max's statement.  
  
"Well, I'll try calling her again after I get back to the cave."  
  
"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow at school, Terry."  
  
With a series of beeps, Max's transmission was terminated. Terry couldn't help but think about the noticeable envy in her voice when he had mentioned the cave. Though she had accessed the Batcave's Cray mainframes from her own laptop, Max had never actually been stepped through the grandfather clock and down into Bruce's real home. Knowing Max, she would probably have sold her soul just to get five minutes in there.  
  
And so would every nutcase in Arkham Asylum for the matter, thought Terry. After all, Bruce had been responsible for the incarceration of most of the asylum's inmates. Though the surviving members of the original Rouges' Gallery probably still had it in for the first Dark Knight, they had thankfully never found Bruce's lair.  
  
In fact, of the old man's enemies, the only ones to ever get inside the Batcave and discover Bruce's secret had been the Phantasm, the artificial intelligence program known as HARDAC, Ra's al Ghul, and finally the year previously, the Joker. Of Terry's enemies, only Inque had made inside and that had been because she had stowed away in the Batmobile.  
  
Thankfully, she had not learned the location and so, both Bruce's and Terry's secrets remained safe as the Tomorrow Knight closed in on the Batcave in the Batmobile.  
  
***  
  
"This is the last draw, McGinnis."  
  
Dana Tan gave a cry of satisfaction as the gates to the stately Wayne Manor opened to her touch. When Terry had first begun working for the old man, she had been given a copy the access number for the security gates just in case she needed to get inside the estate.   
  
And here she was, on the verge of finally confronting Terry as she ventured up the walkway to the Manor. She had been putting this off for far too long. Dana felt that it had been in part due to the murder of Warren McGinnis, Terry's father. She had tried to help Terry in his grief by not butting in on his employment with Mr. Wayne.  
  
But, now, after nearly two years of missed dates, absences, and excuses galore, the Asian-American teenager had had quite enough as she stopped in front of the door. Why did his job demanded more priority then his relationship with her? Why?!   
  
"Well, it's time to find out, girl."  
  
She reached past the sides of her sexy short blue dress for her purse. Or rather, for the copy of the manor key that Terry had had made for her inside the purse. As soon as she had it, he inserted the key in the lock. With a satisfying click, the door opened. Dana looked around.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
There was no reply whatsoever, save for her voice echoing off the walls of the manor. Dana took a moment to just look around. She had seen pictures of the manor before, in magazines and on the internet. But to actually be standing in one of Gotham City's most famous buildings…  
  
The girlfriend of Terry McGinnis turned her head suddenly. Either it was her or she could have sworn she heard something from the room adjacent to the main hall. Without hesitation, she turned the corner.  
  
It appeared to be a study, complete with an old fashioned fireplace. Dana took a moment to look at the portrait that hung above the fireplace. It depicted a couple, in their forties by Dana's estimates. She recognized them as Martha and Thomas Wayne, the long dead parents of Terry's employer.  
  
Most of Gotham City's citizens, including Dana, knew the story of the Waynes' shooting by an unidentified mugger in Gotham's infamous Crime Alley seventy years before. Perhaps it had been this experience, this parallel to the murder of Warren McGinnis which had drawn Terry to Bruce in the first place…and away from her..  
  
Dana gazed up at the portrait another few moments before turning to another item of antiquity in the room, an old grandfather clock. She had grown up, after all, in the age of digital and electronic clocks it was fascinating to see the methods of past timekeeping. That and the tick-tock-tick-tock was the only sound to…  
  
Wait.  
  
No, no it wasn't. Dana heard a faint echo of voices coming from BEHIND the grandfather. Curious, she touched the pendulum on the clock-  
  
-and gasped as her hand touched a hidden button. The clock simply slid to the side on hinged tracks, revealing a bedrock passageway. Dana contemplated the situation for a moment.   
  
"Well, I'm past the Rubicon now and I'd better deal with it…"  
  
And onward the gorgeous Asian-American team descended into darkness, the voices increasing as she made her way along the dark, cool steps.  
  
"…quiet night after all."  
  
"…still no excuse…  
  
Finally, the faint light at the end of passage grew brighter as Dana stepped forward-  
  
-and emerged into a gigantic cavern. Her eyes widened as she took in her surroundings. The cave was filled with state of the art equipment that would have been a heaven for Max. There was also display cases and paraphernalia the likes of no one, not even the Smithsonian Institute itself had ever seen before. And in front of her, standing by an immense computer console with a high-backed executive chair were Mr. Wayne and Terry.  
  
Or rather, Terry dressed in a jet-black suit with the stylized red bat on his chest, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping as he saw her. Dana stood rigid, unable to reply-  
  
-and fainted from the shock of it all, descending from darkness into further darkness.  
  
To be continued… 


End file.
